For centuries, people have consumed cannabis in various different forms, such as smoking, eating, and applying topically. New York State legalized marijuana for medical purposes in 2016, with the Medical Cannabis Program in effect. By 2021, the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) was signed, legalizing the recreational use of cannabis.
Since then, many legitimate dispensaries have been opening up around New York City, providing access to safe and tested NY-grown cannabis. One of those dispensaries include Hibernica Dispensary.
Hibernica Dispensary, located in Pelham Bay at 3220 Westchester Avenue near the Pelham Bay Park station, officially opened its doors on April 20, 2024. Now, they are celebrating two years of operation.
To celebrate two years, Hibernica Dispensary hosted a variety of events between April 17-20, including pop-ups from various cannabis brands such as Woodstock and MFNY; activities such as tie-dyeing shirts; and food trucks. They also hosted a raffle for Yankees tickets.
The dispensary is a family-owned business with years of experience in hospitality. Ran by brothers General Manager Jonathan Guerrero and Inventory Manager Chris Ortiz, they are enthusiastic about cannabis.
“Throughout my life, like for example, I grew up in Spanish Harlem, so [marijuana] was very taboo…Once I got older, I kind of stepped out of that bubble that I was in and just have more of an open mind, and I started to understand it more, realizing that it had much more positive effects,” Guerrero said.
Opening the store came with a lot of difficulties. For starters, getting a license to sell cannabis products takes over a year, according to Guerrero. They also received a lot of push back from the community board. As cannabis is so highly stigmatized, many community members were afraid of the effects of marijuana in their neighborhood.
However, that didn’t deter them from starting their store. Eventually –after recently getting called for another community board meeting– they received a more positive reaction, with many guests having a great experience in the store and praising their professionality.
Hibernica Dispensary is also known for giving back to the community, with a portion of all sales going to the Bronx Community Foundation. They also have a program, in collaboration with Housing Works, called the Cannabis Reentry Employment Assistance and Training Experience (CREATE) program, which provides internships to those who were impacted by former marijuana laws.
70% of their staff comes from this program, giving them a 90 day internship with a possibility of a permanent, full time position.
To break the stigma around marijuana, Guerrero says that one has to embrace the knowledge, helping gaining confidence to explain the different impacts cannabis has on people.
